Ochoa operated on the 58-year-old in 2004 and saw him again before the World Cup when he injected a gel-like fluid into his knee joints to ease his pain.

After a video emerged of Maradona struggling to walk with the help of his assist Luis Campos at the training ground, Ochoa told Argentinian news website Todo Noticias: “Maradona has severe arthritis in both his knees and has no cartilage left.

“The bones rub together. It’s a serious problem because it causes him a lot of pain and swelling and makes it difficult for him to move.

“Maradona knows the solution is an operation and prostheses in both knees.

“He has to take a decision on knee replacement surgery in the short or medium term."

“There is no solution for arthritis. It leads to a total and progressive destruction of the cartilage and if it’s not dealt with, it gets worse. That’s why knee replacement surgery is needed.

“Diego won’t be left unable to walk, it’s not going to get to that stage. Technological advances means there are solutions nowadays.

“But the most intelligent way of reaching a solution is to operate on his knees. First one and then the other. Diego knows it because we’ve spoken about it many times.”